this is the best chain drive system you are going to find for your trike ..... because of mounting limitations with the chain drive these kits hang of your rear end so to speak, now if only you had have given friction try....

this is the best chain drive system you are going to find for your trike ..... because of mounting limitations with the chain drive these kits hang of your rear end so to speak, now if only you had have given friction try....

i will say this jawnn, anythings possible, all you have to do is spend time surfing around and you find fellow bikers coming up with amazing drive systems of their own accord or buy prebuilt kits and modify them to there needs.

It just depends on your own level of engineering ability mine been 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 thats why i stick to prebuilt kits, with the name brand reliable engines. Start sketching up ideas of the system you envision, get some measurements, engine size etc and go from there,

There are plenty of members in here that will give you the heads up on your design and lead you in the right direction etc. etc. but the more you post with diagrams, pics of your ideas, the more people will be able to help you.

my first suguestion for you would be to get an idea of the engine you want to use and work from there designing your drivetrain. the mits 43cc (2 stroke) titian or honda 50cc (4 strokes)should all work comfortably for you with the right gear ratios.

So if you think you can fit the engine under or behind the seat then you should be work out a system to power your rig this way.

If you reconfigured your seat-back support, you could probably fit an engine behind the seat.

The fact remains, though, in order to get a reasonable speed AND enough torque to get 400 lbs up a 14-15 percent slope means that you will need a variable gear ratio, and most likely, the Honda GSX-50 (or larger) 4-stroke motor...

electric is the future thats for sure but unless you are building a custom trike its going to take up just as much room as a gas engine. Yes you have a resonable sized electric motor, but the batteries are the biggest concern.

Lead acid which i use, two small 12 volts for my 500 watt motor does move the trike around distance increased with pedalling, but once you start tackling hills and extra weight you will need at least 48 to 60 volts, lead acid thats 4 to 5 batteries, litium-ion another power soruce but way too expensive.....

Honestly for the weight i think the staton kit with the honda engine is whats going to fit you best, you will have plenty of power to be able to ride pretty much anywhere with the right gearing, a well designed kit built specifly for your bike, it costs up front, but i dont think you will have any regrets.

If you put the drive on your front wheel then you would have a front wheel drive and even the sprocket can freewheel up front and the pedaling in back is not compromised.
That's how my Buggy Bike is set up.
CVT tomorrow via Fed Ex.
I can't wait already!

If you use a gearless hub motor you prolly would need more haha, advantage of non hub motor (such as a Cyclone kit) is you can run the lecky motor through the bikes gearing, hence turning the 'granny gear' on a bicycle into a wall climbing gear haha...

just like jester said when you use the non-hub style, have the electric motor power a cog in line with the actual bike chain (instead of a hub unit turning a wheel) you can use the gears of the bike,giving you tons of torgue at the low end and good speed at the top end, so dont give up the electrics yet....

the only way to motorize this trike with out much adue about nothing is to mount a motor under the seat and conect tothe left side rear axil. I dont want to end up with one sided traction liike I have now.

so will a cvt work with electric? and what size to get?

a hub motor of the front will crate too much wheel flop, affecting the steering.

if you connect the motor to the rear axle and drive both rear wheels (with the absence of a differential) your going to get A LOT of understeer It won't turn well at all...except on loose surfaces when the inside wheel can 'break free' of the ground. You need a differential if you want to power both rear wheels and keep any steering ability that resembles left and right turning...